Paper money counting machine



May 12, 1953 T. E. HAYES 2,638,344

PAPER MONEY COUNTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31, 1950ATTORNEYS May 12, 1953 T. E. HAYES PAPER MONEY COUNTING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1950 INVENTOR [Mmvl [2 91 1 ATTORNEYSPatented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,638,344 PAPER MONEYCOUNTING MACHINE Thomas E. Hayes, Washington, D. 0. Application July 31,1950, Serial No. 176,907 4 Claims. (01. 271- 57) 1 relates to machinesfor counting paper money, and more particularly to automatic means toinsure the accuracy of the count regardless of the rapidity withwhichthe bills may be fed to the machine.

The present invention is adapted to be used in connection with a machinesuch as disclosed in my previous Patent No. 2,429,159, issued October14, 1947. The machine of that patent is designed to receive bills invarious compartments as they are sorted. The bills enter between rollerswhich This invention thereupon actuate counting mechanism. Al-

though many improvements have been made to speed up the operation of themachine so that the parts will function even though the bills are fed sorapidly that only a small space is present between the trailing end ofone bill and the leading edge of the next, the operators become soproficient in the sorting and feeding of the bills thatat times theleading edge of one bill will slightly overlap the trailing edge of theone previously fed to the machine. As it is necessary for one bill toclear the rollers so that the upper roller can drop before the next billenters if a count is to be made, the two bills will be counted as oneand a miscount will result. The machine is equipped with automatic meansto stop the rollers when a double bill is introduced 'butin order forthis mechanism to function about one inch of the double thickness mustpass between the rollers. The overlap resulting from rapid feeding isseldom this great and the double bill mechanism will not function toprevent the miscount.

I The object of the present invention is to provide mechanism to preventthe possibility of a miscount regardless of the speed of feeding thebills or the amount of overlap of the bills.

Another object of the invention is to provide such mechanism which willmove to operative position with the entrance of each bill between therollers, but will not retard or interfere with the free passage of thebills so long as they are not fed in overlapping relation.

A still further object is to provide such mechanism which will not stopthe machine when bills are overlapped, but will merely retard theforward motion of the second bill until the first has passed frombetween the rollers, and then permit the second bill to proceedin normalfashion.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description of one practical I in conjunction with the drawingswhich accompany and form a part of this specification.

embodiment thereof when taken In the drawings:

Figure l is a partial front elevation of a money counting machine'withthe present invention shown applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the lower feed rollers of themachine with a billretarding arm shown'in association therewith;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3--3 ofFigure 1 showing the operating mechanism for the bill-retarding armshaft;

Figure ,4 is a vertical section through a pair of bill-feeding rollersand associated mechanism illustrating the inoperative position of thebillretarding arm as a bill is about to enter between the rollers, andis taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.- ure 1; I

Figure 5 is a section similar to Figure 4 with the bill-retarding arm inoperative position and preventing an overlapping bill from enteringbetween the rollers;

Figurefi is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4; and, I

Figure, '7 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the controlcircuit forthe machine illustrating the manner in which, the present invention isconnected into that circuit.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a machine similar tothat disclosed in Patent No. 2,429,159. This machine comprises a cabinetI in which a plurality of vertical compartments 2 are arranged. At theupper front of each compartment is a pair of feed rollers comprising alower roller 3 which is mounted upon shaftA, and anupper roller 5 whichis mounted for'vertical movement. The shaft 4 is common to all of thelower rollers, and is adapted to be continuously rotated by means of a.motor, not shown, through belt 6 which passes over pulley! mounted onthe end of shaft 4. When a bill is presented to the rollers it is drawninby the rotation of. the lower roller. The upper roller is lifted thethickness of the bill but rests by gravity upon the bill providing thenecessary friction to insure the bill being fed into the compartmentwith which the rollers are associated. The lifting of the rolleroperates a switch to actuate a counter as set forth in detail in theabove mentioned patent. v

In accordance with the present invention, each lower roller is formed intwo parts 8 and 9, which are mounted upon a sleeve l0 and the rollerparts and sleeve are .secured to the shaft 4 by set screws H. The rollerparts are mounted upon the sleeve in spaced relation so that the rolleras a whole is provided with a medial annular groove I2 of substantialdepth. It will be obvious.

that the roller could be formed of one piece having a milled groove.

For each pair of feed rollers a bill-retarding arm 63 is provided, allof the arms being mounted upon a shaft M, and each arm being positionedupon the shaft so that its outer end may move freely within the grooveI2 of its respective roller All of the arms will be fixed upon the shaftto lie in the same radial plane-with respect to. the shaft. The baseiofthe arms may be split, and the arm clamped to the shaft by means of ascrew.

The arm I3 is hook-like in shape, being formed with a vertical shoulderl5 near its for-ward end adapted to engage the leading edge of answer.-lapping bill and hold it against forward movement until the precedingbill has*passedthrough the rollers. The forward end of the arm.isreduced in height so thatit may lie within the groove it, when in itsinoperative position, completely removedfrom the nipof' thefeed-rollers.

Arm I3 is operated. bym'eans of a lever 16 which is fixedly mountedon.thetendof shaft M.

The opposite end of thelever'isattached to the movable member of arotarysol'enoid I i. The connection of the lever to the solenoid isbymeans of'a pin l8 projecting, from the solenoid and passing through aslot l9 inthe" end. of the lever. Thus, rotary motion. of the solenoidwill cause the lever to rock the shaft M raising the arm lfi tooperative position. A coiled spring 2.0. urges the lever to itsinoperative position.

Solenoid [1 has its'coilconnected into the control-circuit of themachine. In Figure 7,.a portion of that circuit is shown, and the entirecircuit is.illustrated in Patent No. 2,429,159. As explained in that.patent, the passage of. a bill through. the feed rollers. lifts theupper. roller and closes a circuit through the counter coils,

shown. at 21. in Figure '7. Theenergi'zation of the 4'" counter coilscauses an armature to be moved to operate. the. counter mechanism,which, in turn, closes. a. circuit... through. a. relay 22'. which setsup a.hol di'ng circuit tocontinue the operation of the controlcircuitwhile permitting the counter mechanism. to. be. tie-energized?and return. to. its. inoperative. position. This. circuit is illustratedin Figure 71 as.followi'ng throughlines 23 and 24;. to counter switch.25,.line 2.6'to holding relaycoil. 22,. and return lines 2.1, 28,. and29.

Energization of relay. 22; will. lift its. armature closing certaincontacts. A. holding. circuit. is then. set up, which. utilizes a.current. leakage.

through. the counter coils. as. described in. the.

above-mentioned patent. This circuit runsfrom the coils Eli through.line. 30. to. the relay contacts 3!, line 32, relay coil 22., and.lines. 2.1, 23, and 29. The actuation of. the relay closes contactswhich. energize thesolenoidl I]... This. circuit is through. lines 23.andtz to. relay contacts 33,. line M to solenoid. 1.1,. and. lines and.29.. Thus, whenever a billenters the. feed. rollers, solenoid I I willbeenergized to move arms. [3 to operative. position. When the billpassesfrom between: the feed rollers the relay holding: circuit will be brokenand the armature drop, opening contacts 23 and deenergizing the.solenoid l 1..

In operation theshaft 4% is. in continuous motion, and insertion of a.bill: between the rollers at a particular compartment will lift theupper roller of that pair causing acount to be made. As'soon as.thishappenszthe relay 22- is energized, and in turn the solenoid H. Thesolenoid will rotate counters-clockwise; as? viewed irr FigureA;rockingtshafii M: to; lift. the arm: I31

All of the arms IE will be lifted even though only one compartment isreceiving at bill. The arms at the other compartments will merely rise,as they are so positioned that they will not contact any part of themachine. The arm at the compartment to which the bill is being fed willrise to strike the underside of the bill passing through the rollers.Due to the fact that the forward ends of i the arms; are.- positionedahead of; the m'pcof therrollers,,the,bill will pass beyond the end ofthe arm while the arm is at rest in the groove of the lower roller. Assoon as the bill enters the rollers, the arm will be lifted, andwillbelield in-contact with the bill during the entire passagesof thebill through the rollers.

If the bill is not followed by another in overlapping relation, the armwill have no effect upon thebill-passing through. If, as shown in Figure5, a second bill is fed too rapidly and slip beneath the first one, theshoulder 45, the edge of which'is'engagingthe'underside-of the firstbill, will stop the forward movement of the second one and holdthat"bill stationary'until the first has passed completely through therollers. Thereupon the solenoid l-lwill be ole-energized and the. arm"will drop into the roller groove out of contact with the second bill.The forward edge of that bill will then contact the rotating lowerrollerand be drawn between the pair of rollers:

The action-of the solenoid ll is very light, and the arms are not heldinoperative position with any; substantialforce; The force is sufficientto prevent an overlapping bill' which is not b tween the rollers frommoving forward, but is not strong enough tohold thearm in position if anobstruction" which is on'the-bill between the rollers strikes the"shoulder; Therefore, if a torn bill which has been mended by pasting astrip over the tear. should enter: the rollers, the edge of the stripwould. contact the shoulder on thearm'. As this'bill isbeing; drawnforward with some force; the arm will" be moved downward and the bill;will; continue. through the rollers.

While inthe above one practical embodiment of the invention has beendisclosed, it will be understood'thatimany changes may bemade from theprecise structure. shown without. departing from the scopeofinvention asdefined in the appendedclaims What; is claimed is:

1..Ih.a.paper money countinginachine having a plurality ofbill-receiving compartments andapair of bili-feedingrollers at theentrance to each. c.ompartment,. a shaft-extending across all. ofsaidiroller. pairs, aplurality of bill-stops equal in! number. to. thenumber of roller pairs attached. tosaid shaft, each of said bill-stopsbeing. positioned. medially ofa roller pair, and means operable when. a.bill. enters between the rollers of. any. of saidroller pairs. to rocksaid shaftto-raise all of said bill-stopsto a position for yieldinglyengaging the leading. edge of a bill. which may overlap. the. trailingedge of. a preceding; bill. engaged. between. the rollers. of a rollerpair.

2; Inapaper money counting machine as claimed in claim 1-, said. meanscomprising a solenoid and: aplurality of.- switches in circuit, each ofsaid switches being operable by the separation. movement. oi. a roller.pair when a bill entersbetween the :rollersof. the-pair to energize saidsolenoid;

3. In-apaper. money. counting. machine having a pluralityl ofbill-receiving. compartments and a pair of bill-feeding rollers at theentrance to each compartment to feed the bills in a horizontal plane tosaid compartments, a shaft extending across all of said roller pairs, aplurality of bill-stops equal in number to the number of roller pairsattached to said shaft, one of the rollers of each pair having aperipheral groove to receive its associated bill-stop when the billstopis in inoperative position, and means operable when a bill entersbetween the rollers of any of said roller pairs to rock said shaft toraise all of said bill-stops out of said grooves to a position toyieldingly engage the leading edge of a bill which may overlap thetrailing edge of a preceding bill engaged between the rollers of a 15roller pair.

4. In a paper money counting machine as claimed in claim 3, said meanscomprising a 10 Number 6 rotary solenoid and a plurality of switches incircuit, each of said switches being operable by the separation movementof a roller pair when a bill enters between the rollers of the pair toenergize said solenoid.

THOMAS E. HAYES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NameDate 487,278 Landfear Dec. 6, 1892 497,745 Bascom May 16, 1893 2,004,835Schneider June 11, 1935 2,121,308 Wale June 21, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 600,160 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1948

